When exploring surrogacy, many intended parents naturally ask: Can surrogates share DNA with the baby they carry?
It’s a thoughtful and important question, and the answer depends on the type of surrogacy being used.
At Hatch, we work exclusively with gestational surrogates, which means our surrogates do not share DNA with the babies they carry. Still, understanding why that’s the case, and what role a surrogate does play, can help clarify what to expect during the surrogacy journey.
In gestational surrogacy, the surrogate does not pass on DNA to the baby.
The child’s genetic identity comes entirely from the egg and sperm used to create the embryo, whether those come from the intended parents, donors, or a combination of both. The surrogate’s role is crucial for supporting a healthy pregnancy, but it is not genetic.
Still, many people understandably have questions about how pregnancy works and whether the surrogate’s body could contribute something biologically.
Below are some of the most common myths and misconceptions, along with clear explanations to help put these questions into perspective.
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Myth |
Reality |
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“The surrogate passes DNA to the baby because she carries the pregnancy.” |
Carrying a pregnancy does not transfer DNA. Only the egg and sperm providers contribute genetic material. |
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“The baby might look like the surrogate.” |
Physical traits like facial features, height, and eye color come solely from the genetic parents or donors, not from the surrogate. Any resemblance would be coincidental. |
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“The surrogate and baby share blood, so genetics must mix.” |
They do not share blood. The placenta keeps their blood supplies separate while still allowing nutrients and oxygen to transfer safely. |
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“Microchimerism means the surrogate becomes a genetic parent.” |
Microchimerism involves the exchange of a very small number of cells, not DNA mixing. It does not create a biological or hereditary connection. |
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“The surrogate can pass down health conditions or genetic traits.” |
Genetic traits can only come from the egg and sperm. A surrogate’s health may influence the pregnancy environment, but not the baby’s DNA. |
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“If donors are used, the surrogate becomes the next closest biological source.” |
Even when donor gametes are used, the surrogate is still not genetically related. The DNA always comes from the egg and sperm providers, never the gestational carrier. |
A child’s DNA comes entirely from the egg and sperm used to create the embryo. If someone contributes an egg or sperm, they are genetically related to and share DNA with the child.
But if they carry the pregnancy without contributing either—as is the case with gestational surrogates—there is no genetic connection. The surrogate’s role is essential and nurturing, but not genetic.
In gestational surrogacy, a surrogate mother is not biologically related to the baby. The embryo is created using an egg and sperm from the intended parents or donors, and the surrogate’s role is to carry the pregnancy, not to pass on her genetic material.
This is an important distinction, as people often associate pregnancy with parenthood in a biological sense. But in gestational surrogacy, the connection is physical, not genetic.
The distinction is important from a legal and emotional standpoint as well. Because the surrogate has no genetic link to the baby, intended parents can be reassured that parental rights are clearly established from the start. It’s also important to work with legal professionals to secure those rights, since surrogacy laws can vary significantly depending on your state or country.
A baby’s DNA comes only from the egg and sperm that were used to create the embryo, not from the surrogate who carries the pregnancy. This means the genetic parents are determined entirely by the people who supplied the reproductive cells, whether that’s the intended parents, an egg donor, a sperm donor, or both.
Here’s how that works in different situations:
In traditional surrogacy, the surrogate uses her own egg, meaning she is both the biological and birth mother of the baby. While this approach was used more frequently in the past, it’s now extremely rare and not supported by most surrogacy professionals due to legal and emotional complexities.
Gestational surrogacy, which is the model used by Hatch, involves no genetic link between the surrogate and the baby. The embryo is created through IVF using someone else’s egg and sperm and is then transferred to the surrogate’s uterus.
No, the baby will not resemble the surrogate in a genetic sense. Because the surrogate does not contribute an egg, traits like eye color, facial structure, or height are inherited from the biological parents or donors.
While the surrogate’s health and pregnancy experience can influence how the baby grows in the womb, physical features are determined solely by the baby’s DNA, not the surrogate’s.
That said, research in epigenetics shows the womb environment can play a small but meaningful role in how genes are expressed. For example, the surrogate’s nutrition or stress levels might influence things like the baby’s birth weight or immune development.
These influences, however, do not change the child’s DNA or cause inherited traits.
At Hatch, we prioritize the health and comfort of our surrogates by providing a comprehensive compensation and benefits package — including wellness allowances (for services like prenatal nutrition, massage, doula support, and therapy), reimbursements for lost wages, household assistance, childcare supports, and personalized gifts throughout pregnancy.
We believe that by supporting surrogates’ well-being, we also help create the most nurturing environment for the baby.
The surrogate and baby do not share blood during pregnancy.
Instead, they are connected through the placenta, which acts as a filter. It allows nutrients and oxygen to pass from the surrogate to the baby while keeping their blood supplies separate. This barrier protects both the baby and the surrogate and ensures they remain physiologically distinct.
Intended parents may come across the term microchimerism when researching surrogacy, which can understandably raise questions about whether cells shared during pregnancy create a biological connection.
Microchimerism refers to a small number of cells that may pass between mother and baby during pregnancy. While scientifically interesting, this does not create a meaningful genetic link between the surrogate and child.
These cells may move across the placenta in extremely small numbers, but they do not alter the child’s DNA or blend the genetic material of the surrogate and the baby.
Think of these cells as temporary “passengers,” not contributors. They don’t influence inherited traits, appearance, or health conditions. They also have no impact on legal or biological parenthood.
Yes, but not genetically. This is where epigenetics comes in. Epigenetics refers to how environmental factors in the womb can affect how a baby’s genes are expressed (without changing the genes themselves).
Things like the surrogate’s nutrition, stress levels, and overall health may have a subtle impact on fetal development, such as influencing birth weight or immune strength. However, these influences do not alter the baby’s DNA, nor do they create a biological connection between the surrogate and the child.
It’s completely natural for intended parents to wonder what happens if the baby appears to resemble the surrogate in some way. Because the surrogate is the one carrying the pregnancy, people sometimes assume she might influence the baby’s physical traits.
In gestational surrogacy, however, any resemblance is purely coincidental.
The surrogate does not contribute DNA, which means traits like facial features, hair color, eye color, height, and genetic health markers come only from the egg and sperm providers.
That said, babies often share features that are common across many people, such as similar skin tone ranges, head shapes, or newborn expressions. These similarities are normal and do not reflect a biological link.
Sometimes, intended parents also notice that their baby has characteristics that seem unexpected. This is simply how genetics work: children inherit complex, blended traits from their biological parents (and their ancestors), not from the person carrying the pregnancy.
If you’re working with a gestational surrogate, she won’t share DNA with your baby, and she won’t be biologically related to them. Her role is to provide a healthy, nurturing environment for the baby’s growth and development, but the child’s genetic identity comes entirely from the egg and sperm used during IVF.
Understanding the difference between gestational and traditional surrogacy can offer clarity and reassurance for intended parents. At Hatch, we’re here to support you every step of the way with guidance, transparency, and care.
Learn more about the financial side of surrogacy in our guide to surrogacy expenses or explore your options for surrogacy financing.
Surrogates cannot pass on DNA in gestational surrogacy. The DNA comes entirely from the egg and sperm used to create the embryo.
No. Traits like appearance and genetic health risks come from the genetic parents or donors.
The baby may be influenced by the surrogate’s womb environment (nutrition, health), but this does not affect DNA.
No. The baby’s resemblance comes from the biological parents or donors, not the surrogate.
No. Their blood supplies remain separate thanks to the placenta, which ensures safety for both.